self development through shadow work

📆 Transitioning from June to July

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Month End Oracle Reading with the J Miranda Deck

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

Center – You are the warm center that keeps everything feeling safe and comfortable. While you are this person for others, you seek this from those closest to you as well. You are coming to the realization and understanding that you need them to help stoke the fire and keep things going.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Center Left – Leave behind your tendency to focus too much on control, which you know to be both impractical and unhealthy. A bit of mindfulness and small corrections here and there will create far better results than trying to control every aspect and see every obstacle that may come up along the way.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

Center Right – You’ve been daydreaming an awful lot about having some true quality alone time lately. Just make sure when you try to pursue this avenue that you don’t end up closing yourself off in the process.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

Bottom Center – Your expectations of perfection are inhibiting you from being able to appreciate your home in its present state. Instead of obsessing over the mess and allowing it to drag you down, try waxing poetic over the stuff you like about your home. Just like everything else in life, it’s never going to be perfect.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Top Center – Take time to stop and savor the little things. Sunsets and fireflies and quiet afternoons are your reward for just being here. Don’t pass them up just because you have “things still to do”.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Bottom Left – Don’t allow the shadows of uncertainty to get the upper hand and take over. They will eat away at you if given the chance. Instead, cast a light on them to help guide you through dark times. When you share your worries and troubles with other others, it helps lighten the burden as well as the uncertainty you’re experiencing.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Bottom Right – Use your “nighttime in the greenhouse” experiences in your meditation exercises. Explore the feel of the air and the leaves, the scent of the greenhouse at night, and the atmosphere through your meditation and visualization. These experiences are still fresh in your mind and able to be explored to add a little spice and variety to your meditation practice.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

Top Left – As mentioned previously, your expectations towards perfection are going to get in the way of the things you want to do and experience if you let them. Pay attention when that voice rises up that tells you that you should be doing more or doing better, and put it back in its place instead of allowing it to pollute your self-esteem and drag you down into self abusive behaviors.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Top Right – Remember that creativity is messy! It’s okay to make a mess and not be as organized as perhaps you’d like. As long as you are enjoying each aspect and step along the way, it doesn’t matter if there’s a mess to clean up afterward or if things are a bit more disorganized than the more exact side of your nature may prefer.

Message from the Spirit World – Have fun with color and creativity. Enjoy the beauty in the world around you instead of becoming hyper focused on all the little organizational bits that need to be put into place. Sometimes it’s okay to just have fun.

Message from the Mind’s World – If you allow your darker thoughts to run amuck, they will isolate you from the warmth and support others can provide.

Message from the Physical World – Consider getting outside during the darker hours of twilight and sunrise in order to beat the heat and find a more comfortable experience for your outdoor activities.

DECKS USED: THE J MIRANDA ORACLE

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with The Pressed Flower Tarot and Epiphyllum V2 Love and Pain Playing Cards

Earth – The Fool Again / Apple Blossom, Lilac, Strawberry – Look for opportunities and themes of rebirth this week. The time is right for a new beginning. Take the growth that you have experienced thus far and carry it forward with you into the next adventure as you start on this new path.

Air – Ten of Swords / Sunflower and Autumn Leaves – New beginnings aren’t possible without the endings that go along with them. Make sure that you keep your frame of mind towards letting go of that which is not serving you as you move forward. Sometimes letting go can be painful, but the journey ahead will be lighter without these outdated mindsets dragging you down and stunting your new growth.

Water – Queen of Pentacles / Queen Anne’s Lace – Tend to your nest. For you, life is often at it’s best when you’re working towards a harmonious environment for yourself and others. Don’t close yourself off in solitude, but instead let the support from others help you in achieving a happier and healthier home.

Fire – The High Priestess / Passion Flower, Iris, Cannabis – Make sure to stay focused on staying open and receptive this week, both with your normal five senses and those others beyond that as well. There is much to help further your journey and awaken your inspiration, as long as you’re willing to be open to their presence and influences.

Waning – Queen of Diamonds and Two of Diamonds – Take care you aren’t falling into the habitual mindset that the only way to get something done correctly to do it yourself. You need others help. Remember to include them in your efforts and responsibilities rather than closing them out and doing everything on your own.

Waxing – Eight of Hearts and Jack of Diamonds – Keep in mind that sometimes extricating yourself from the situations you don’t want to be in might take a little bit of time in order to assure no damage is sustained in the process. Just because you have to take it slow, doesn’t mean you’re not in the process of breaking free and walking away.

Take Away – There is a great deal of encouragement here to lean on others and let them assist you in your endeavors this week; this doesn’t just mean chores, responsibilities, and home care, but also any new projects or ideas that pop up. Don’t forget that to let new things into your life, you need to let go of some of the things that aren’t serving you anymore. Otherwise there’s just no room for the new stuff to take root and grow.

DECKS USED: THE PRESSED FLOWER TAROT AND EPIPHYLLUM v2 LOVE AND PAIN PLAYING CARDS

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with The Modern Mysteries Tarot and Seaborn Kipper

Earth – Ten of Wands – Take care that you aren’t adding too much to your plate this week. The obligations and responsibilities you currently have are already more than enough. Make sure you aren’t adding more straw to the camel’s back. Even the smallest of additions could end up being that “last straw”.

Air – Five of Pentacles atop Seven of Pentacles – Don’t allow slow progress to make you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere. This is an illusion created by your negative inner narratives. Don’t buy into the story.

Water – Six of Cups – Nostalgia can’t take the place of having a good time in the present, so don’t try to make yourself fit in that box. Instead, seek out joy in the present. Will it look the same? No. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be just as good.

Fire – The Hanged Man – Put your focus toward waiting and watching this week, instead of jumping the gun to act.

Waning – Sad News and Hope Great Water – Do not allow disappointments to drag you down this week. There will be a transition from hope and possibility to a feeling of failure. Take care not to slide down that slippery slope into a negative headspace.

Waxing – Official Matters and Playful One – Step away from the seriousness of the situation and get out into activities that allow you to put serious matters aside for a little while. In doing so, things may look far more manageable and less dire on your return to them.

Take Away – Pressure, whether internal or external, is going to make it hard for you to say “no” to extra responsibilities and obligations this week. Make sure you -are- in fact saying no. Protect your well-being and emotional healthy by ensuring you are getting the space you need… by saying no. Instead, seek out things that make you feel good and distract you from your stressors. Even small things can make a big difference in this area.

Other elements included in this reading:
Carnelian Agate for Inner Drive and Focusing On Aspirations
Green Aventurine for Harmony and Balance of the Heart
Citrine for Energy Lift (easing the weight of heavy energies)
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE MODERN MYSTERIES TAROT AND SEABORN KIPPER

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Comic Strip Tarot and Sparkly Lenormand

Earth – Six of Wands atop Queen of Swords – Stay grounded this week by taking care to observe who it is you’re trying to people please and why.

Remember that you can’t please everybody all the time, and don’t allow people’s sharp words to make you feel like you have not accomplished anything. A lot of times both sharp words as well as praise are used as a form of manipulation. Make sure that you are examining others motivations rather than just accepting them at face value.

Air – The Emperor – This examination of motivations mentioned above also applies to yourself and your own reasons for what you say and do.

This is especially true when you butt heads with others in the week ahead. Don’t be stubborn just to be stubborn. Make sure you actually have a good reason for your demands that goes beyond self-serving motivations or stubborn pride.

Water – Strength – Remember that it’s okay to feel vulnerable. Just make sure that you’re sharing that vulnerability with the ones you love and trust, instead of with strangers that don’t have your best interest at heart.

Fire – The Devil – Clearly the theme of this week is manipulation. Pay attention to who’s jerking your chain, and consider if it isn’t someone behind them that’s actually doing the manipulating instead of themselves. Sometimes people who have your best interest at heart end up jerked around by those that don’t. Don’t forget that that third-party is out there sometimes (no matter whether it is a person or a thing that’s motivating them), and keep an eye out for it this week.

Waning – Dog and Moon – Even those who are loyal to you can be jerked around by their emotions. As mentioned above, don’t just take everything at face value this week. Do a little digging instead of trusting everything is on the up and up.

Waxing – Fox and Coffin – It’s not a game or a puzzle. Don’t worry about being clever in sorting the machinations of others… just end it. Full stop.

Take Away – There are lots of warnings here about the machinations and manipulations of others, the methods they may use, and the importance of staying aware and alert to this in your interactions with others in the week ahead. When you recognize these manipulations in your life, put a stop to them immediately. You can sort out how you feel about it or what their motivations were at another time. The important part is to ensure that you stop the behavior in its tracks right now. Go ahead and be paranoid… you have every reason to do so this week.

Other elements included in this reading:
Pressed Pansy Flower for Hearing the Heart More Clearly
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: COMIC STRIP TAROT COLOR EDITION AND SPARKLY LENORMAND 2ND EDITION

❤️ Self Care Saturday (On a Sunday)

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These Saturday readings are (not usually) bearing in on any one thing or event in my life, as the question used is asking for a more general outlook. This is a self care exercise, and is not meant as a predictive reading… although that, too, happens on occasion.

The question is… What do I need to focus for self-care through the week ahead?

Self Care Saturday Tarot Reading with the Oculus & Serpentibus Tarot and Tempus Fugit Lenormand

Earth – Page of Wands – Don’t worry if you don’t know everything; that’s supposed to be part of the fun.

Air – Six of Pentacles (tipped right) – Generosity is going to be more of an obstacle or detriment than it will be a boon this week. It might be best to skip it where you can.

Water – The Magician – You have the tools you need to keep your emotions in balance. Gideon is on vacation, not disappeared from your life. He’s within an easy reach when you need him, as is your meditation practice, playing in the soil in your garden, and other such tools that help you stay on an even keel.

Fire – Queen of Wands Rx – Focus on yourself. It’s probably not the best time to be nurturing others through your own stable presence and support. You are the one that is going to need support this week, so make sure that you are allowing others to help you with that.

Waning – Mountain and Rider – This week is not the time to be riding full-bore into your struggles and problems. It’s okay to let your hurdles percolate a little bit this week and not make much progress on them.

Waxing – Bouquet and Ring – Let others make promises this week. Enjoy the connections you have with others and remember that these connections do not come with a forced obligation of generosity attached.

Take Away – Focus on yourself and let the things that feel like challenges sit on the back burner. You need to allow yourself to have the support and attention you need instead of allowing others to monopolize your time and attention.

Other elements included in this reading:
Dried Rosebud for Potential and Beauty Waiting to Unfold
Clear Quartz for boosting Mental Clarity and Amplifying Energy
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: OCULUS & SERPENTIBUS TAROT AND TEMPUS FUGIT LENORMAND

📆 Transitioning from May to June

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Month End Check-In Tarot Reading with The Yellow House Tarot

Here and Now I Exist – Who you are now, in your entirety.

The Hermit – You are seeking alone time and feeling a desire to retreat from the world at this time. As mentioned in the blue moon reading done yesterday, the trick to this at the moment is in finding the motivation to engage in healthy alone time instead of the unhealthy variety.

The Slough – What is to be left in the past as you move forward.

Seven of Coins – Don’t over-complicate long term endeavors. Just because something takes a long time to accomplish doesn’t mean it has to be complicated, or need your full attention all the time. Like some plants, some endeavors thrive under neglect rather than constant attention to detail.

What Lies Ahead – An ideal state or ideal self you are seeking at this time.

King of Coins – Resource stability. With taxes done for both personal and business, your property taxes paid, the levy on your building paid, your accountant paid, etc., you are feeling the need to recover financially and work on reestablishing some solid footing.

Limitations – Negative influences, opposition, or ill will.

The Empress – Don’t pamper yourself to the point you become lazy or lackadaisical. Not all self-care is about languishing. Sometimes it means getting in the garden to work among the flowers and/or otherwise building up a sweat in the sunshine and shade.

The Boon – Positive influences, higher guidance, or divine intervention.

Time / Wheel of Fortune – Do some of the things that tend to cause you to lose track of time. Your time and attention is not strictly regimented right now, which means it’s the perfect time to lose yourself in the activities where time doesn’t really matter.

The Wound – An unpleasant past experience or event that is ripe for some support and healing.

Ace of Cups – Take time to revisit some of those emotions from the past that you found confusing or difficult to identify and deal with. You may find them easier to identify and/or deal with now that there has been some time and space between you and them. Sometimes a little distance helps put things in perspective.

Nostalgia – A positive past experience or event to acknowledge, reflect upon, and enjoy.

Page of Wands atop Ten of Coins – In both the present and the past, you’ve enjoyed feeding those you care about foods that you have grown yourself. This year that may be your teas and herbs, but don’t give up the dream idea of growing more on your balcony next year.

A Warning – Something coming that can be prevented or overcome.

The Hanged One Rx – Take care to pay attention to your initial reactions to things, and take time to observe and consider before you actually act or respond. You don’t want to jump the gun, as that won’t provide you with the results you desire.

Empowerment – A future opportunity to work toward.

Three of Cups – That togetherness you’ve been feeling lately with others holds a great deal of promise if you nurture it.

Message from the Spirit World – Take your time when in the company of those you enjoy spending time with. Linger and enjoy rather than taking these moments for granted or rushing through them.

Message from the Mind’s World – The stability you desire is going to take some time and soul searching. It will return, though, with a little perseverance to get you there.

Message from the Physical World – That new balcony garden plan you’re considering needs some more planning, and now is the time to do some of that planning. Don’t put it off til later, because it’s going to come together in fits-and-starts.

Other elements included in this reading:
Foraged Wood Fern for Exorcising Negative Influences
Foraged Oak Branch with Moss and Lichen for Perseverance
Foraged Parmeliaceae Lichen for a “Breath of Fresh Air”
Selenite for Purification and drawing in Positive Energy

DECKS USED: THE YELLOW HOUSE TAROT